The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-29

Firaz, s.ccoT,-.ag to the legend transmitted
from generation unto generation by the
rawis, or recitcrs of poems and of great
deeds.
And it is written down in the common
tary which Abou Zakariyah Yahyah-al-
Tibrizi made upon those mighty poems
ciianted before Islam which are called
. HaInasah-a word sigIlifying all that is
stalwart and noble in a man-and in the
Hamasah the rlace of the legend of
Rabyah is in the second books which is
the Book of Dirges'' But the tale
hath also been told by Al-Maidani, and
Abou Isiyasl; and it is likewise preserved
i'm the great Kitab-al-Aghani, or Book
of Songs" collected and written down
by ALou I Faraj Al Ispahani, who lie
voted fifty years alone to the study of the
poems and the legends of the Desert Arabs
of old.
Rabyah, son of Mokaddem, of the Beni-
Firaz, was famed as the bravest and the
strongest and the most generous of his
tribe what time he lived, and he was
celebrated as an escort. For from the
day that he had, single handed, as a very
young nan, successfully defended his
bride, lsaytah, AGAINST the horsemen of
the EeIi-Djouclam on q foray, the
No4-tA-i tst'Gtitcti no flDIOf W ils.Nt
Rabyah as their escort. And no woman
ever iutrustel herself to the protection of
Isabyah for the journey to whom any
misiiap befcl while he remained with
her.
Now ON the day of his death Rabyah
was escorting caravan OF women
through the country of the Beni-Sulaim,
and lie was the only horseman with them.
For though there had been blood between
the Beni-firas: and the Beni-Sulaim, the
price of blood had been paid, and it was
thou ht Icace had been brought about.
And the mother and sister of l.abyah
were with the caravan.
And all that land was yellow and dry
as long dead bone; and it was strewn with
great stones that seemed to have been
rained down from heaven with fire, 80
scared and 80 blackened they were. And
the pass leading to their own country
the Pass Of Ghazal-was still far off when
Eabyaii looking back, saw distant
rising of dust. Ike the smoke of n fire
newly kindied. Now Rabyah rode upon
his favorite gray mare, Ghezala, whom
no desert steed might ever overtake, but
he rode slowly for the sake of the women,
who were mounted upon camels.
So he drew rein and gazed at the dust
cloud and perceived CLEAN break
through it, and another, and another and
many glinmerings-a lightning of lances.
And looking little while longer, he
could discern company of men in helms
of iron and shirts of mail riding upon
lean, black horses; AMI as they sped
swiftly he knew the helm of the horse
man who led them-Nubaishah Of
whom it was said that Death, the mother
of vriltures, ever rode with him.
Then Rabyah spurred in haste after the
women, and urged ON faster the toiling
camcls, and said unto his mother: There
is treachery, o mother. 10! Nubaishah,
the son of Habib, pursueth us with the
spoke, the far off drum roll of galloping
hoofs broke heavily upon their ears
through the hot and thirsty air.
And turning his mare round Rabyah
added: Haste yc toward the pass while
j strive. to hold them back; and l shall
meet yc all at the Yass, to hold it so that
We can reach our tents and arouse the
horsemen." And he rode to meet the
wild men of Sulaim, while the women
urged their beasts faster over the dusty
path.
Then Rabyah's sister, QUINN 'Amr,
cried out in fear, and those with her Ia
mented as they saw Rabyah ride back all
alone. But his mother, QUINN Saiyar,
chilled them, saying:
while there rcmaineth so much as
one drop of blood in his veins, no son of
mine will ever fail to do the deeds of a
man and the duty of n man. Have no
fear, yo foolish ones! when did Rabyah
ever fail to protect u woman? How
many such robbers as those hath he not
harasEcd ere this, even as lizards in their
desert holes are harasscd with n stick?
How many an oncmys corpse hath he
not left - b. GcvOarcd by the lions of
the wouS.,,. b. the ancient eagles of the
Hills? in how many encounters hath he
not Eccn hard pressed bofore-ay, even
tightly lcesssed as the sandal strap be-
tween the toes OF the wearer? Know We
MOI that my son il unto men as IL beacon
Gght-ay. as the signal fires that be
lighted upon mountain toiIs!
Yet Isabyah's sister only would not be
comforted. and she wypt and said:
s.Surely my brother hath never before
been placed i'll any peril Ike unto this
peril, for the men of Sulaim are many,
. and il li;Itli ever been sid of Nubaishah
C,,th-ftsr mother of vuitures. rides
1t.i him.
SHARPLY: .die thsN ieareth death. verily
death sirfll find him. though Inc have n
ladder tOi@ enou,eh 20 climb to heaven
upon Better il death than shame, Fear
rather foi chino own honor, Girl-urge
Oil thy beast while Rabyaii holds them
back
Then I.sl.ya.l, ;.icne. strove against all
tx. Gw2rrl oi ;iui.lim.
new il Arabia there was no archer
mCrG s.:iiifCI ,.i...I Is15yah, and he bent
lis bow y. ;i..,st tiC puTs;lers; and with
his i;r s'l,.it ne icrccd the throat of a
cen of I,:l,i:.t. "a t!.St the hOrseman died
uyon t;; kcrac. and with his second he
Mabel tic lii: u OF another To the ribs of
Iii, IL. -. ..ls,i Syi,lI lis third he shat
tert.i ..,. ,... ,.l...rIn Of the strongest Su-
l,ill1.-,.: &. :. :. .ac.ug t,.at it was Eaby:lh,
tin. i.,gu Of s5tIiain lied from his archery;
and he drove them back yet farther,
sending hi; ar owS humming like Djinns
bel,ind tiltin. And when lac had thus
kept ,hC~i Lac. :. 6ool while he turned
AM r,A,S-:l. - the vClIc-l again.
'Ihcn the i.iCn oi StliSiln rode furiously
in pursuit Of l.i,.l and Shot arrows after
him IL vain. EOr though all the black
horses strovc until thcy were sweating
ike wei i.l.c,i ,.>.tr s..,inS in inc great
llSis. DIiiN -vtt-s.s I~i4l =
low after Rabyah's gray mare; and the
gray mares skin remained dry.
And so soon as Rabyah-after having
urged ON the toiling csmcls of the women
still faster-turned once moro and laid an
arrow across his bow, the drum beat of
pursuing hoofs broke up into sound of
scraping and of stumbling, while the men
of Sulai.n scattered and drew back in dis
may And many times Rabyah thus
checked them Only Nuhaishah. the son
of Habib. ever sat firm upon his black
stallion and faced the humming shaft.
and dexterously avoided it or turned 1T
from Linn with marvellous surety of eve